Bookish Worlds I’d Never Want to Live In

I adore reading about different fantasy worlds. It’s always so interesting to see all the strange and detailed aspects the author has come up with to make their world work. But… a lot of these worlds have some seriously scary situations — either terrible inequities and political systems, to dangerous or out of control magic, or even simply lacking the basic conveniences of modern life that I don’t think I could give up.

1. Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia)

I grew up with these books and I love them. But a world with no toilets? While the talking animals could be really cool and some of the medieval dresses pretty, I appreciate a modern toilet and electricity.

2. Middle Earth (The Lord of the Rings)

Along with the above points from Narnia (re: modern technology), I wouldn’t want to live in a world with so little equality (women, hobbits, ents, it seems like men and elves reign supreme).

3. Panem (The Hunger Games)

A world broken into districts that are strictly controlled by the ruling class by use of deadly force and poverty, including a “game” that pits children against each other to fight for the death? No thanks!

4. Erilea (Throne of Glass)

A world at war, where evil has strange and frightening magical powers and is conquering the world one country at a time is terrifying.

5. Prythian (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

A world where humans and those with magic hate/fear each other makes me sad. And, even worse, where those with magic won’t even help each other or those without. As cool as aspects of it are, the animosity and segregation make it unappealing to me.

6. Wonderland (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)

There are many neat things about Wonderland, but with up being down and forward being backwards and the Queen of Hearts and Cheshire Cat terrorizing it all… nope.

I’m sure there are more, but my brain is starting to go to mush thinking about all of these slightly scary worlds…